How Neusroom predicted emergence of Peter Obi as choice of young Nigerians in 2020 report
Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, is emerging as a formidable force ahead of the 2023 general elections. When he announced his exit from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) a few days before the party’s presidential primary election, some political analysts projected that it would spell the end of his presidential ambition. But since he announced his candidacy on the platform of the lesser-known Labour Party and won the party’s ticket, his political stock has continued to rise among young Nigerians, and a new political movement has been born.
From social media to the streets, a large number of Nigerian youths appear to have adopted Peter Obi as their preferred candidate for the 2023 presidential election. His supporters call themselves ‘Obidients’, and many have religiously been campaigning for him on social media voluntarily. These people are so vocal in their support that they dominate every social media space, canvassing support for Obi while also lunging at opposition to their candidate’s ambition. Beyond mobilising voters, they have also expressed willingness to donate funds for Obi’s presidential campaign.
The 61-year-old is enjoying strong organic political support many people did not see coming, except those at Neusroom.com who already predicted this movement two years ago.
In February 2021, Neusroom released a special report which was the outcome of an extensive survey to feel the pulse of Nigeria and the young population and predict what direction and shape the political leadership of the country could take.
From Tuesday, October 20, 2020, to November 1, 2020, Netng and Neusroom explored the leadership choices of young Nigerians, including for the office of the President. The polls reached about 440,000 people across different platforms, garnered about 7,000 responses, shared over 3000 times, and accumulated more than 17,000 engagements. An analysis of the result of the data showed that the current “Obi-frenzy” was waiting to happen at the right time.
In October 2020, young Nigerians engaged in an unprecedented anti-police brutality protest tagged EndSARS. Online and offline, the youths expressed their displeasure over the activities of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS) of the Nigeria Police Force (NPF). As observed, EndSARS ended up being an umbrella campaign that included calls for better leadership. The current youth charge in support of Obi is a continuation of the EndSARS movement, and the Neusroom report provides some interesting insights.
After the protests that awakened the political consciousness of young Nigerians, a large percentage of the respondents agree on having respectable personalities who can serve as a bridge between the older generation — whom many young people say have failed them — and the younger crop of Nigerians.
A large majority of the respondents said they would prefer a president who was younger than 45 in 2023. However, they were more favourably disposed to Peter Obi, Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Oby Ezekwesili.
When asked whom they would trust to bridge the gap between the old and new generation, many of the respondents chose Pastor Sam Adeyemi of Daystar Christian Center, Peter Obi, and Oby Ezekwesili. Adeyemi has not expressed any interest in running for the presidency, and Ezekwesili, despite running for president in 2019, chose to stay off the political space in 2023. That leaves Obi as the candidate whom young Nigerians have already expressed interest in supporting since 2020.
Although questions have been raised about his role in his administration’s handling of the alleged extrajudicial killings masterminded by CSP James Nwafor, the commander of the SARS unit in Awkuzu, a town in Oyi Local Government Area, while he was governor of Anambra state, he has aligned himself with the youths in denouncing police brutality, as seen from his support of the EndSARS movement.
In an election where INEC said more than 48 million of the registered voters, or 51 per cent are young people, if this demography of voters truly takes the 2023 election as seriously and comes out massively to vote as they have displayed with their online passion, then Obi’s presidential victory would almost already be guaranteed. Despite being older than 45, he is the candidate young Nigerians are willing to make a concession for to bridge the gap between the old and young generation and also ranked high in personality evaluation as revealed by the Neusroom report.
There is more. Based on the Neusroom report, the future of Nigerian politics is going to be female and youthful, as many respondents say they would prefer more youth involvement in politics across all levels.
You can read the full report here.
